Traction cable and car



(N0 Mudel.)

2 Sheets-Sheet l. J. H. SMITH.

TRACTION CABLE AND GAR.

No. 311,537. Patented Feb. 3, 1885.

Q Q O (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet :2. J. H. SMITH.

TRACTION GABLBAND GAR.

Patented Feb. 3', 1885.

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JAMES H. SMITH, OF NEWARK, OHIO.

TRACTiON CABLE AND CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 311,537, dated February 3, 1885.

Application filed August 18, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES H. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, Ohio, have invented certain Improvements in Traction Cables and Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mechanism mainly for hauling cars from mines or along branch tracks, which in mining districts form communications between the mines and main lines of railroads. The invention, however, may be adopted wherever an exposed traction rope or chain is available for hauling loaded cars.

My invention consists of the combination of a traction rope or chain having a shoul dered link with a car having coupling mechanism by which it can be attached to and released from the traction-rope, as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, Sheet 1, isa plan view of part of a coal-car provided with the coupling device; Fig. 2, Sheet 2, a vertical section on the line 1 2, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3, a transverse section on the line 3 4, Fig. '1.

A and A are parts of the longitudinal beams of a clutch-car, and B B transverse beams appertaining to the same.

D is the traction-rope, preferably of wire, the continuity of this rope being interrupted at intervals by a traction-link, Gr, one only of which is shown in the drawings, each traction-link being provided with shoulders to a, and being connected to the rope in any suitable manner, preferably by swivel-couplings I) I). These links, which in reality form integral parts of the traction-rope or tractionchain, are arranged at such a distance apart as circumstances may suggest as the most appropriate, each clutchcar being provided with a coupling device, which I will now describe. Two plates, H 1-1, are pivoted to a shaft, I, in the same manner as the leaves of a hinge are pivoted to its pin, one plate being provided with eyes cl, the other with eyes 0, the shaft passing through all of these eyes, and being secured to the frame of the car, preferably through the medium of plates J J, the former of which is secured to the beam B and the latter to the beam B of the carframe, one end of the shaft passing through the one plate, and the other through the other plate, and each threaded end of the shaft being provided with a nut, in, as shown in Fig. 2. l

I do not desire torestrict myself to this mode of securing the shaft to the car, as other means of effecting this purpose will readily suggest themselves to expert mechanics. The lower ends, it h, of the plates H H are made to so conform with the link G that they will embrace the same, or nearly so 5 but it is not necessary or advisable that the said link should be gripped by the plates when the latter are closed, as in Fig. 8, reliance for connection of the rope to the car not being placed on any gripping effect on the link, but upon the shoulders a ct of the latter, the lower ends of the pivoted plates H H being long gnough to fit freely between the said shoulers.

The mechanism which I prefer for operat ing the plates H H consists of two arms, K K, one secured to each plate, two levers, M M, connected together at their outer ends and pivoted to the car-frame at p p, and two links, N N, by which the said levers are connected to the arms K K. The weight of these levers and of' the arms is sufficient to maintain the plates 1-1 H in the closed condition shown in Fig. 3; but on raising the'levers the lower ends 01' the plates must be moved apart, and the car must necessarily be free from the control of the traction-rope.

It has been found in practice that when the above-described traction-rope and coupling mechanism have been used .the car while being hauled remains on the rails, which was not the case when the traction-rope was connected to the car in other ways, a result which may be attributed to the fact that there is no lateral strain on the rope, which is often the case when the car is coupled to a rope bygripping devices.

It should be understood that the clutching devices shown are not applied to each ear of a train, but only to a special car which is coupled to the train.

I claim as my invention IOO A traction rope provided with a shoulto this specification in the presence of two subdered link or links, G, in combination with a scribing witnesses. car, a shaft, I, thereon, plates HH hinged to the shaft, and adapted to the said shouldered JAMES SMITH 5 link, and mechanism for operating the said Vitnesses:

plates, all substantially as set forth. WILFRED 0. SMITH,

In testimony whereof I have signed my name I LUTHER J. JOHNSON. 

